Hydrangea plant named ‘SMNHALR’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Hydrangea  plant named ‘SMNHALR’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; strong and sturdy stems; dark green-colored leaves; large mophead-type inflorescences with light green-colored sterile flowers; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Hydrangea arborescens.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SMNHALR’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Hydrangea plant,botanically known as Hydrangea arborescens and hereinafter referred toby the name ‘SMNHALR’.

The new Hydrangea plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new Hydrangea plants with strong stemsand large attractive inflorescences.

The new Hydrangea plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted bythe Inventor in July, 2007 of an unnamed selection of Hydrangeaarborescens radiata, not patented, as the female, or seed parent andHydrangea arborescens ‘Pink Pincushion’, not patented, as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Hydrangea plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of thestated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Grand Haven,Mich. in July, 2011.

Asexual reproduction of the new Hydrangea plant by softwood cuttings ina controlled environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since July, 2011 hasshown that the unique features of this new Hydrangea plant are stableand reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexualreproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been observed under all possiblecombinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. Thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditionssuch as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variancein genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘SMNHALR’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘SMNHALR’ as a new and distinct Hydrangea plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit.    -   2. Strong and sturdy stems.    -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.    -   4. Large mophead-type inflorescences with light green-colored        sterile flowers.    -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the female parentselection primarily in sterile flower color as plants of the femaleparent selection have white-colored sterile flowers.

Plants of the new Hydrangea differ from plants of the male parent, ‘PinkPincushion’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea have larger inflorescences than        plants of ‘Pink Pincushion’.    -   2. Sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea are light        green in color whereas sterile flowers of plants of ‘Pink        Pincushion’ are pink in color.

Plants of the new Hydrangea can be compared to plants of Hydrangeaarborescens ‘Annabelle’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons,plants of the new Hydrangea differed primarily from plants of‘Annabelle’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Hydrangea were taller than plants of        ‘Annabelle’.    -   2. Sterile flowers of plants of the new Hydrangea were light        green in color whereas sterile flowers of plants of ‘Annabelle’        were white in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the unique appearance ofthe new Hydrangea plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which accurately describe the colors of the newHydrangea plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a top perspective view of atypical plant of ‘SMNHALR’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typicalflowering plant of ‘SMNHALR’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the followingdescription were grown during the summer in three-gallon containers andin ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and undercultural practices typical of commercial Hydrangea production. Plants ofthe new Hydrangea were three years old when the photographs anddescription were taken. In the following description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical description: Hydrangea arborescens ‘SMNHALR’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Hydrangea            arborescens radiata, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Hydrangea arborescens ‘Pink            Pincushion’, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type cutting.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 18 days at            temperatures about 27° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 60 days            at temperatures about 27° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to thick; white and brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial deciduous shrub;            upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit;            inverted triangle; strong and sturdy lateral branches;            freely branching habit with about 61 to 100 lateral branches            developing per plant; vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 100 cm.        -   Plant diameter or area of spread.—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 67 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.            Internode length: About 7 cm. Texture: Smooth, glabrous.            Strength: Strong, sturdy. Aspect: Mostly upright. Color:            Close to 146C.-   Leaf description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.        -   Length.—About 8 cm to 16 cm.        -   Width.—About 5 cm to 12 cm.        -   Shape.—Cordate.        -   Apex.—Acute to acuminate.        -   Base.—Obtuse.        -   Margin.—Serrate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Slightly rough; pubescent.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Slightly rough and ribbed; slightly            pubescent.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper surface:            Close to 139A; venation, close to 145A. Developing and fully            expanded leaves, lower surface: Close to 137C; venation,            close to 145C.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 6 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:            Close to 145A overlain with close to 177A. Color, lower            surface: Close to 145A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Single sterile and fertile flowers            arranged on terminal mophead cymes that are roughly            hemispherical in shape; flowers face upright to outwardly.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower from late spring to            early summer in Grand Haven, Mich.; flowers persistent.        -   Quantity of flowers.—Freely flowering habit; about 560            fertile flowers and about 805 sterile flowers developing per            inflorescence.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 15 cm.        -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 20 cm.        -   Flower diameter, fertile flowers.—About 6 mm.        -   Flower depth (height), fertile flowers.—About 5 mm.        -   Flower diameter, sterile flowers.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower depth (height), sterile flowers.—About 7 mm.        -   Flower buds, fertile and sterile flowers.—Length: About            3 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Shape: Obovate. Color: Close to            145C overlain with close to 186A.        -   Petals, fertile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: About            five in a single whorl. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About            1 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 186A            becoming closer to 145A with development. Fully opened,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155B becoming closer to            145A with development.        -   Sepals, fertile flowers.—If present, too small to measure;            inconspicuous.        -   Petals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: About            four in a single whorl. Length: About 1 mm. Width: About            0.5 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Rounded to obtuse.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces:            Close to 145C overlain with close to 186A. Fully opened,            upper and lower surfaces: Close to 155B becoming closer to            144A with development.        -   Sepals, sterile flowers.—Quantity and arrangement: About            four in a single whorl. Length: About 7 mm. Width: About            7 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute. Base: Obtuse. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.            Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 144A. When            opening, lower surface: Close to 145A. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to 155B becoming closer to 144A with            development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 155B            becoming closer to 145A with development.        -   Pedicels, fertile flowers.—Aspect: Upright to outwardly.            Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About 1.5 mm. Diameter:            About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 145A.        -   Pedicels, sterile flowers.—Aspect: Upright to outwardly.            Strength: Strong, sturdy. Length: About 7 mm. Diameter:            About 1 mm. Texture: Smooth. Color: Close to 145A.        -   Reproductive organs, fertile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per            flower: About ten. Filament length: About 1 mm. Filament            color: Close to 155A. Anther shape: Round. Anther length:            About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 186A. Pollen amount:            Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Pistil            quantity per flower: One; two to three-lobed. Pistil length:            About 1 mm to 2 mm. Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: Close            to 155A. Style length: About 1 mm. Style color: Close to            155A.        -   Reproductive organs, sterile flowers.—Stamens: Quantity per            flower: About six to eight. Filament length: About 2 mm.            Filament color: Close to 155A. Anther shape: Round. Anther            length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 186A. Pollen            amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 155A. Pistils: Not            observed on sterile flowers.        -   Seeds, observed on fertile flowers only.—Quantity per            inflorescence: Numerous. Size: Less than 0.1 mm by less than            0.1 mm; dust-like. Color: Brown.-   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have not been    observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Hydrangea    plants.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Hydrangea have been shown to    exhibit good garden performance and to resist sun-scalding. Plants    of the new Hydrangea have been observed to tolerate temperatures    ranging from about −32° C. to about 36° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Hydrangea plant named ‘SMNHALR’ asillustrated and described.